7th April 2017
An organisation comprising some of the most senior police to have served Victoria will in coming weeks present to the State Government a comprehensive plan to make the state safe again for all Victorians.
Chairman of the Community Advocacy Alliance and former Chief Commissioner, Kel Glare, said the plan would address rampant violent crime, aggravated burglaries and robberies by youth, car thefts, assaults and the lack of respect for Police and the law in Victoria.
But gaining respect is a two way street. The Police and the Judiciary have to regain not just the public’s respect but also its confidence through changed practices and demonstrable performance
This tsunami of serious crime impacting the State’s citizens does not have boundaries. It hits people in their homes and on the street and in businesses. It is not discriminatory impacting across all suburbs from Sunshine to Toorak, from Frankston to Broadmeadows and throughout regional Victoria. For many people its affects are traumatising and life changing.
The plan will address a number of key issues including: –
– The urgent need for significant reform of the policing function,
– the Justice system
– and escalating violent crime among youth.
In respect to policing we will be recommending significant changes to operational procedures and structures directed at delivering a force that is much faster in its response times to public need and is more visible, accountable and engaged with the public.
In terms of the judiciary there needs to be a major shift in its accountability. It should be accountable to the community it serves. We will be recommending on changes to the bail regime including entitlement to bail, breaches to bail, remand in custody and speeding the whole bail process. Its time we put an end to the catch and release principal which clearly guides a number of jurists in this state and which has seen innocent people murdered on our streets by serial offenders released on bail and on parole.
We anticipate presenting these recommendations for a Safer Victoria to the Government and the public in coming weeks. We recognise it will not be an easy task to effect change. It will take some time but we need to start now. I have to say the support we are getting from the public for this initiative expressed in terms of emails, calls and conversations is significant.
Put simply, if we all don’t act now crime in this state will continue to spiral out of control and everyone will be less safe. The reputation of Victoria as a safe state will be trashed. I and my colleagues didn’t give years of service to policing in this state to see that happen.